ABC Gives Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD an Early Season Seven Renewal

ABC has handed out a surprise renewal for Agents of SHIELD over six months before the show’s next season is set to premiere. Deadline reports that the seventh season will be thirteen episodes, the same episode count for season six.

According to the outlet, the early renewal is believed to relate to the cast’s contracts coming up. Renewing the show early picks up the options on their contracts and means that there’s no need for messy renegotiations. It also allows for the sixth and seventh seasons to potentially be filmed back-to-back, which would reduce costs.

Agents of SHIELD has been a mild performer in Live+Same Day ratings, but does exceptionally well in time-shifted numbers. In May, it was announced that the Marvel series would be moved from the regular season into a summer schedule, where it would have a better chance of finding a longer life compared to the more competitive fall through spring season.